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Chemotaxis (from chemo-+ taxis) is the movement of an organism or entity in response to a chemical stimulus. [1] Somatic cells, bacteria, and other single-cell or multicellular organisms direct their movements according to certain chemicals in their environment.
Scheme of the complement system. The complement system, also known as complement cascade, is a part of the humoral, innate immune system and enhances (complements) the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear microbes and damaged cells from an organism, promote inflammation, and attack the pathogen's cell membrane. [1]
C3a is an effector of the complement system with a range of functions including T cell activation and survival, [2] angiogenesis stimulation, [3] chemotaxis, mast cell degranulation, [4] and macrophage activation. [5]
Complement component 5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the C5 gene. [5] Complement component 5 is involved in the complement system. It is cleaved into C5a and C5b: C5a plays an important role in chemotaxis. [6] C5b forms the first part of the complement membrane attack complex. Deficiency is thought to cause Leiner's disease.
C5a is a protein fragment released from cleavage of complement component C5 by protease C5-convertase into C5a and C5b fragments. C5b is important in late events of the complement cascade, an orderly series of reactions which coordinates several basic defense mechanisms, including formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC), one of the most basic weapons of the innate immune system, formed ...
Anaphylatoxins, or complement peptides, are fragments (C3a, C4a and C5a) that are produced as part of the activation of the complement system. [2] Complement components C3, C4 and C5 are large glycoproteins that have important functions in the immune response and host defense. [ 3 ]
C3b is the larger of two elements formed by the cleavage of complement component 3, and is considered an important part of the innate immune system. C3b is potent in opsonization : tagging pathogens, immune complexes ( antigen - antibody ), and apoptotic cells for phagocytosis .
The complement system is a biochemical cascade that attacks the surfaces of foreign cells. It contains over 20 different proteins and is named for its ability to "complement" the killing of pathogens by antibodies. Complement is the major humoral component of the innate immune response.